228. What Are You Implying?
==============================
It’s been about ten days since winter break, and Lin Nan figured it’s been over ten days since she last saw Chen Yao.
While on the bus, she did a little online research.
Basically, those surgeries for gender deformities are just cosmetic surgeries, and the number of procedures depends on how complicated the patient’s condition is. Typically, it takes about a month for someone to get discharged.
But Chen Yao probably didn’t even ask any doctors about it seriously. Lin Nan claimed she only needed one surgery—a week for the operation, followed by a few days of observation and recovery—so she figured if she just got discharged today…
Well, Chen Yao isn’t a doctor, and even if things were moving faster, he’d probably just be confused, right? As long as she sounded confident enough, he wouldn’t doubt her too much.
“What are you spacing out about? We’re here.”
Lin Nan snapped out of her daze to find Wu Guodong had already jumped out of the car, and they were parked on a shopping street in the county.
She opened the door and looked up at her uncle. “So, are you going to the blind date alone?”
“I can handle it. You can either go shop or hang out with your boyfriend.”
See! Chen Yao is not my boyfriend!
Lin Nan was furious. No matter how hard she explained to anyone—her mom, Wu Guodong, or her cousins—they just wouldn’t listen! They insisted on teasing her with comments like these.
She knew after trying to explain multiple times, they were probably just joking, but it still ticked her off.
As she stepped out of the car, Lin Nan noticed there seemed to be a lot more people wearing masks than before, and the once-bustling commercial street now looked deserted with just a handful of people wandering around.
Wu Guodong handed her a mask.
“Better safe than sorry.”
“Yeah.”
Lin Nan nodded, a sudden realization hitting her that it wasn’t the wisest to be out and about right now.
But the problem was, she never really kept up with the news. She only heard about the pandemic from her cousin and her uncle. She thought it was far removed from her life, but just a few days later, it was affecting everything.
Wu Guodong locked the car and started heading to the restaurant they’d picked for a blind date.
The street was devoid of the usual private tricycles and motorcycles. After searching for a bit, she couldn’t even find a taxi, so she had no choice but to call Chen Yao for a ride.
After about ten minutes of waiting, a figure clad in all black, wearing a helmet and a mask, finally found Lin Nan, who was aimlessly wandering around.
“What are you doing out here running around in times like these? Shouldn’t you be at your grandpa’s house?”
Before she could express any excitement at seeing him, Lin Nan was met with a barrage of scolding.
Her expression darkened as she turned her head in a huff. “Then I’ll just take the bus back.”
“Seriously? You’d dare take the bus? Don’t you worry there might be an infected person on board?” Chen Yao softened his tone a bit, realizing he was being a bit harsh.
“You make it sound super serious…” Lin Nan mumbled, grumbling a bit.
They had not seen each other in over ten days! Who scolds someone right when they meet?
She wore a sulky expression, and Chen Yao noticed Lin Nan was dressed in a normal feminine outfit for a change.
Usually, her boyish attire, while fitting, still gave off that tomboy vibe which just wouldn’t leave her, but now, in a fitted blazer, she looked like she had a certain feminine confidence.
And the tailored blazer accentuated her curves, adding to her allure.
The mask covered most of her face, but anyone’s eyes would be drawn to her slightly annoyed yet captivating eyes, emanating a strangely enchanting vibe.
Chen Yao couldn’t understand why there was a hint of mature charm in Lin Nan’s eyes.
“Wow, looking good!” He instinctively reached out and ruffled her hair.
So soft! Nice to the touch.
He decided not to wash his hands today.
Lin Nan didn’t resist, only rebutted, “I’m not just pretty! Get your pig trotter off my head!”
“Alright, alright, quit being a brat. Let’s go.” Chen Yao let go of her head, turned, and pulled out a pink helmet from the seat, handing it to her. “Here, put this on.”
“Where are we going?” Lin Nan fiddled with the helmet and suddenly blurted out, “Whose girl’s helmet is this?”
“With the way things are right now, you still want to go where crowds are?” Chen Yao hopped onto the bike, patting the seat behind him. “It’s my mom’s helmet. Hurry up.”
Since it was his aunt’s, she figured it was fine.
Lin Nan grumbled inwardly, hopped onto the electric scooter, and sat behind Chen Yao, staring into the sparse crowd on the street.
Is it really that serious? Just a few days ago while playing Mahjong, didn’t her cousin say everything was under control?
“It’s best to stay indoors for now. What if someone from the epidemic area comes back and infects you?” Chen Yao revved up the scooter while continuing to lecture her.
Lin Nan half-heartedly agreed but was suddenly jolted by the bike as it hit a bump. She instinctively grabbed Chen Yao’s waist in panic.
“What are you doing?!”
“Bump! Can’t help it.” Chen Yao felt a softness pressed against his back, and his earlier irritation faded away as he started to hum a tune happily.
Lin Nan couldn’t figure out why he was so cheerful, but she was afraid of falling off, so she held on tightly to Chen Yao’s waist.
For some reason, even with her cousins and her uncle around, the comfort she felt from being with Chen Yao made her heart feel full.
Her lips couldn’t help but curl up. Even though their meeting started off a bit rocky, her mood lightened considerably.
At her grandpa’s place, she’d been so bored that her scalp almost went numb. After a whole day, she didn’t even feel like smiling.
“Chen Yao.”
“What’s up?”
“I finished my surgery.”
Chen Yao suddenly slammed the brakes, and Lin Nan, caught off guard, bumped her head against his back.
Ignoring the pain in his back, he turned to ask, “You’re done already?”
She noticed he seemed really excited.
“Why not? It’s not that big of a deal.” Lin Nan felt a little guilty but tried to keep her confidence up. “It’s not some complicated surgery; it’s just stitches and observation—total of ten days, and I’m out!”
She was a bit uncertain, but she had to at least act like she’d gone through it firsthand.
“Not complicated?” Chen Yao had consulted doctors before, and what he’d heard sure wasn’t that. “Wasn’t it supposed to be about a month for recovery?”
“I… my situation is special. I recover well…” Lin Nan didn’t expect him to have consulted anyone, and she avoided his gaze, her eyes darting around as she stammered, “Anyway, I’m a girl now…”
“Feels like you’re implying something.” Chen Yao couldn’t help but ruffle her hair again.
Lin Nan slapped his hand away, tilting her head in confusion, “Huh?”
